How ‘The Last Jedi’ Novelization Connects To A Galaxy Of ‘Star Wars’ Books/Comics

Jason Fry, author of the novelization of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, has written an in-depth article at StarWars.com discussing how he incorporated various Star Wars books and comics into his adaptation — this is a must read….

Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi screenplay picks up where The Force Awakens left off, includes a famous holographic plea from A New Hope, and shows us Luke Skywalker discussing Darth Sidious and the Jedi of the prequel era — to say nothing of sequences that take inspiration from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

The result is a story that’s rich and deep, full of connections to stories we know and love. In writing the novelization of that story, I saw a chance to further those connections by drawing on not just Star Wars movies and TV shows but also on novels written by my fellow authors. Now that the novelization’s out, I hope you enjoy this quick tour of connections you’ll find in its pages.

Some references will be immediately apparent to readers familiar with the new films and books. In introducing Rey, I wanted to back up a little so we could spend a bit more time with her before her fateful meeting with Luke atop the island of Ahch-To. I went back to Alan Dean Foster’s The Force Awakens novelization, making sure my account was consistent with how Alan had approached that scene. The introduction of sisters Rose and Paige Tico, meanwhile, recreates a scene from Elizabeth Wein’s Cobalt Squadron. (Elizabeth and I know about unconventional collaborations: our 2017 books Cobalt Squadron and Bomber Command are the book equivalents of the Tico sisters’ complementary medallions.)

James is an active member of the Star Wars collecting community, and is the Brand Director for Jedi News. James is also the host of the Star Wars Collectors Cast, and co-host of RADIO 1138 on the Jedi News Network.